Train communicating apparatus for railways



Aug. 20, 1935. A. J. SORENSEN 2,011,658?

TRAIN COMMUNICATING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAYS Filed Jan. 12, 1954 v INVENTOR Andrew J. So ensezz F '9- 5 Qjafmw HIS ATTORNEY Patented Au 20, 1935 {PATENT OFFICE TRAIN COMMUNICATING APPARATUSQFOR "Rmwmzs Andrew. Sorensen, Pittsburghfla assignor to The Union Switch & Signal Company, Swiss vale, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 12, 1934,- Serial No. 706,385

. 6 Claims. Myinvention relates to electrical systems for communication between two points on a railway train. or between a train and a fixed point, and

, more particularly it relates to trackway apparatus for use in connection with such systems.

One form of train communicatingsystem with whichmy invention may be used, isdisclosed and claimed in an application for Letters Patent of the United States filedby L. O. Grondahl on :May 6,1930, Serial No. 450,135; for Apparatus for signaling between two'points on a railroad train One object ofthelpresent invention is the provision of means for bridging the insulated joints in a track which is equipped with track circuits: thereby improving the conductivity of the rail path for the'communioating current i 7 i i I will-describe two forms of apparatus embodying my invention," and will then novel features thereof in claims. In the accompanying drawing; Fig. l is a diap'oint out the grammaticqview. showing. one form of apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a verticalsec- 'tional view showing one form of microphone which may be used in the apparatus shown in Fig.

"1. :Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View showing a modification of-the apparatus shown in Fig.1 and also embodying my invention. I

- "Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the views. a v

' 'Referring first to Fig. 1, the reference characters I and. l designate the track rails of a stretch of railwaystrack, which rails are divided by insulated joints 2 and 2 respectively, to form track sections'in accordance withthe usual practice in railway signaling systems .of the track circuit type; A normally'open electro-conductive path isprovided around joint .2, which path in- *cludes akback contacts of azfrelay' R; andu-a 7 similar: normally open electro-conductive path is provided around the joint 2*, which path includes 7 ab'ackJcontact ioirelayRj. The relay R'is con- :vicinityof the joints 2 and 2 trolled by a microphone M, which'is associated with one of the rails la and is arranged. to be .vibrat'e'd as a train passes along thetrack in the ..I..Themicrophone M is so designed that it has the characteristic: of increasing its resistance in response tovibration byi'a train. This microphone may-be of the typedisclosed and claimed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,334,077, granted to me on December '1, 1-931. Referringparticularly to Fig. 2, the microphone is attached to the rail i by means of a clamp 4 which is secured to the flange of the rail by alug 5 and a bolt l5. The microphone comprises an insulating housing M. attached to the clamp 4 by a screw 16, which housing contains two spaced. vertically disposed metal electrodes E and-.E i The space between these electrodes is partly, butqnot wholly, filled with loose carbon granules l3. Relay R is provided with a circuit which passes from a battery 3, through the electrode E, the carbon granules 13, the electrode E andthe winding. ofrel-ay R to battery 3.

The; operation of the apparatus is as follows: Whenth'ere is :no moving train in the vicinity of the microphone M, enough current will flow through this. microphone to'energizerelay R, thereby holding contacts 6 and 1 open, so that both of the electro-conductive paths around the insulated joints are open. When there is a moving, train inpthevicinity of the microphone M, however, the'vibration of, the track rail l clue to the movement ,of such train, will cause the microphonejMto becontinuously vibrated, so that the carbon granules 13 are continuously agitated and the resistance of the current path between the electrodes E' and E will then be rapidly varied, being at times below its normal value-and at other times above this value. The average value of the resistance of this path will, howeverybe of. theorder of two or three times the normal value, and this increase in resistance will reduce the current supplied to the relay R belowthe release value of this relay. Relay R will then bezdeenergized to close its back con- :tacts; 6 and "I, and thereby close the normally open electro-conduotive paths aroundthe joints 2 and 2%,:respectively. i It will be clear from the foregoing that as a train proceeds over a stretch of track provided with apparatus embodying my invention, the insulated joints spanned by the train will be automatically placed onshort circuit, so that communicatiorr between the two ends of thetrain or between the'train and :a fixed wayside station may takaplaceas'. if there were no insulated joints at that point in the track.

Direct attachment of the microphone to a track rail is'not essential; it is only necessary that this microphone be so located that it will be vibrated by a train in the vicinity of the joints with which associated arrow. Section X Y, of track A-is provided with a track circuit comprising a battery 8 and a track relay TA, while section Y-Z of track B is, provided with a track circuit comprising a battery 8 and .a track relay TB. Associated with track, A is a normally deenergized slowreleasing relay RXA, a front contact fiA of which is included in anormally open electro-conductive examplegbe located in the usualrelaycabinet which also houses" the track relaysTA and TB. This microphone may besimilarto the oneillus- "tratedzin,'Fig.:2,'except that the "clamp 4 'may be I omitted and-suitable meanszrnay beprovidedior attachingthe microphone to aishelf of the cabinet. "This microphone fcontrolsa relayR'in such mannerthat the relayis normally energized but becomes deenergizedfwhen a train on eitherj tr'ack passesthecabinetfi 1 Y I a 9 of relay Rlto .terminalO of the same source of current Relay RXB isprovide'd with a si'milar TB, and back'contactfifof relayRfi- :QRelayf RXA is provided with acircuit which passes from terminal 0, of a suitable source o1! current, through back contact l 0A; of track relay TA, ither'win ding of relay-RXA, and back contact circuit, which includes back contact-{10B ofrelay e operation :of" the apparatusshown in Fig.3,

. is asfollows: Assuming that a passing train occu:

pies trackx Aj relay R will becomedeener'gized the train approaches point 1Y,and relay' TA will, become deenergizedas 'the "forwardiend'lof the train e'ntersthe forward section XY.- Relay RXA will then be energized to'clo'se thetwo'electro-iconduc'tive paths around; the joints 2 and 2 respectively, in't'rack :A, butrela'y RXBifor track B "will not be affected; because tracklrelay TB 1 will remain energized. If the train is on track B,;r'elay RXB will become energized in response to f the deenergization. of relaysiR andTB. and

willclose the electroconductive 1 paths around joints 2 and 2 respectively; in track B, but relay' RXA will not be affected',"because track relay TA -will remain energized; Of -course,fif two' passing trains occupy the 't'woitracksrespectively, both relays RXA and B2B will be energized 1 If, during the passage ofsatrain, relay Rshould becomemomentarily energized duejto slow move- 'ment of' the. train or toany other cause, relay RXA'"(01' RXB) will not release :because of its slow-releasing characteristicyandsosuclnlmo- --mentary; operation of relay R'will not result: in Y the .opening. of the l electro-conductive paths around the joints in the 'track occupied by the train. When atrain is moving very slowl'yoris standing still the electro=conductive paths around the joi'n'ts'sare not necessary, and'so it-is'notzimportantthat relay It should releaseunder those conditions. I

Although I have only two "formsrof apparatus emb dying invention; it is understood that various changes ein' shown and: described I sother track.- z wand mo difications may be made therein within 1 I l the scope ofv the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. g

, Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

' '1. In combination, a stretch of railway track divided into track-circuited sections byinsulated joints, a horrhallyopen electro-c'ondu'ctive path around one of said joints including a front contact of a normally deenergized relay, and means ;for energizing said relay including the track re- ,layffor one ofthe adjacent sections and a microphonearranged to be vibrated by a passing train. 2, In combination a stretch of railway track dividedintotrackrcircuited sections by insulated joi nts,a normally open 'electro-conductive path around one of said joints including a front contact of a normally dieenergized relay, a micro- I phone a'rranged to be vibrated by a train passing along said track and having the. characteristic ioff increasingits resistance in response tosuch vibration, -a' normally energized relay controlled by said microphone, and a circuit for said first relay including abackcontact of said second relay and a back contact of thetrack relay for one 1 of the'adjacent sections. 7 j l a c 3. -;In combination, two parallel railway vtracks each divided intotrack-circuited sectionsby insulated .joints, two normally open electro-conductive paths one around each'iof two adjacent joints inthe two tracks-respectively, a micro-- phone'arrangedto be .vibratedl by'a train passing along either track,'arid means for, closing 'each path including said microphonev and the track jrelay for one of the adjacent sections of the as- I soci'ated track.

e 4; In cornbinationytwdp each' divided into track-circuited sections by inarallel railway tracks sulated joints, two normally open electro conductive paths one around, each of j two adjacent joints in the two tracks respectively and each including a' front contact ofanindivid'ual normallyide'energizedrelay, a microphone arranged to be vibrated'by a train passing along either of said tracks, and means for energizing one of said-relays or the other as a train "passes along one track or the other including said microphone 'andthe track relay for'one of the adjacent sections of the track occupied by the'train. I

- 5.5111 combination, two'iparallel railway tracks each divided into track-'circuitedsections by in-- I'Slllttd joints, two normally o'penelectr'o-Conductive pathslone around each of two adja ent joints inthe two tracks respectively, aimicrophone arlrangedito'be vibrated'by a-train passing along either track, and means for closing one of said paths orv the otheras avtrain passes along the corresponding-track including said microphone and the trackrelay for oneof the adjacent sections of'the track occupiediby the train.

- 6. In'combination, two parallel railwaytracks each divided into' sections by insulated joints, two normally openx'electro-conductive paths one around each of two adjacen'tljoints in the two tracks respectively," a microphone arranged to be vibrated by a train passing'along either track,

and means responsiveto apassing train and ineluding 's'aid microphone ';for' "closing the: path .around'ithe jointin the track,occupied by the c train but not vthepath around the joint in the g AND EW JQ SORENSEN. 

